what keeps you pedaling?

tilt

welkman wrote:

It keeps me fit, sane and has helped me make new friends. I love building up bikes, riding bikes and talking bikes. My wife is much happier than when I was motorbiking. I have seen great places all over europe by bike and am now a keen amateur racer. I love the feeling of getting into work on the days with the worst weather, I feel the seasons more and feel more connected to nature. If you didn't get on the bike you would spend most of the winter inside!

Excellent post

MonkeyMonster

Gives you a great gluteus that is to be admired. Allows you to drink and eat more (rich food). Wakes me up in the morning and evening. Gives me a nice aim at the end of the day. Productively uses retail therapy purchases . De-stressing. Fun. Exhilarating (at times). Extremely positive influence to you and others (that matter).

LiveGiantly

tilt wrote:

welkman wrote:

It keeps me fit, sane and has helped me make new friends. I love building up bikes, riding bikes and talking bikes. My wife is much happier than when I was motorbiking. I have seen great places all over europe by bike and am now a keen amateur racer. I love the feeling of getting into work on the days with the worst weather, I feel the seasons more and feel more connected to nature. If you didn't get on the bike you would spend most of the winter inside!

Excellent post

I agree.

For me, I love cycling, every stride, every pedal....The wind in my ears....The quick bursts of energy....The money you save compared to Public Transport....The independence of being on your own bike, only you can control it as your mode of transportation....The feeling of taking on harder gears and conquering them, inevitably leading to stronger legs and faster times....

The list goes on!!!

alexl89

Easy, I just need to picture the alternative to cycling into work... being squashed in the northern line tube.

ketsbaia

+1 on hating the PT alternative. Have to get three tubes to get into work, all of which are packed. Takes a good 45 minutes as well.

Cycling in takes around half an hour, keeps me fit, is cheaper and cures the odd hangover (kinda). It also affords me the opportunity to show others how awesome I am. Albeit mostly middle-aged blokes in lycra doing exactly the same thing as me, but still.

wandsworth

1. Staying off PT. Every time I get on a tube or train it reminds me why I cycle. Every time I don't feel like getting on the bike (cold, wet), I think about the alternative.

2. Staying fit, losing weight, having more energy.

3. I just love being on the bike. When I have time I take a detour to extend my 9 mile commute to 18 miles.

edhornby

as everyone else has said (fitness, cost, time)

Getting dressed before you open the curtains is the best motivator, once you are wearing your cycling gear you are fixed into the method of getting onto the bike - I put my clothes on the radiator the night before so that they are cozy warm when you get dressed, which helps subconsciously

DJFish

1. I'm actually using the expensive bike I bought myself after falling off my old one, which then sat in the garage for about two years.
2. I never have to squeeze myself onto the Central Line and miss my train while they regulate the service or sit on a bus watching the traffic lights change from red to green to red without actually moving.
3. Because we no longer needed a second car for commuting I was able to realise a dream, and have an early mid-life crisis and buy myself a Porsche, it's sold now but it was all thanks to the bike!
4. I'm saving a shed load of cash by cycling which I can now spend on nappies.
5. I work nights and am generally unhealthy, every mile I pedal is an extra few days I'll be able to see my girls growing up.
6. Alternatively every mile I pedal goes towards bacon sarnie credits to ensure I remain 'bacon neutral'.
7. I enjoy it, even if it's pissing down, or I'm riding through grey slush, even if the only wildlife I see are crows ripping open people's bins at 05:30, it gets me out in the open air and I love it!

Surleypacer

or for me "take it up", first post here although I have been lurking for a while and it's reassuring to hear the motivation, as trepidation is setting in, I'm going to pick up my bike tonight, haven't ridden a bike for several years and I'm hoping to get back into it with some "gentle" commuting, it's 7 miles of reasonably quiet gentle country lanes to work, I've gone from active work to desk in 2years and the lard is arriving, shifts to 8-4 mon-fri, every time I get in my car for work i think lazy, so whats making me start? what you all said
Going to have a trial run on Sat then break myself in gently.
thanks for the thread.

tgotb

Now I've been doing it for a few years it's ingrained, and I resent the occasions I have to use PT.

When I first started, there were days I was tempted to take the train. Each time this happened, just as I was reaching the end of my commute, I made a conscious appraisal of whether I'd made the right decision. Every time I'd cycled I felt I'd made the right choice; every time I'd taken the train I'd ended up regretting it. Looking back at these appraisals made it easier to make the right decision the next time.

roger_merriman

My commute which varies tends to be though Bushy Park, which is lovely and quiet. and I really enjoy the park.

It is also far quicker than public transport, as their is no waiting time. Car is about the same time on way in, but tends to get caught in the evening rush hour, while not bad, it's not riding home though the park which is a pleasure.

jimmypippa

For me it is quicker than public transport (25-mile round trip, buses every half hour, or trains every hour). The cheapest public transport is about £1000 per year. Usually it does take longer than it would in a car, but it is more reliable - about three times a quarter the roads completely fall over. Buses seem to be bad about once a fortnight.

It is good only having one car, and I do also like the fitness.

itboffin

stu-bim wrote:

mrfpb wrote:

My wife reckons I'm much more sane on days when I ride.

Everyone reckons I am much more sane when I ride!!!!!!!

Seriously I find riding extremely stress relieving. Having to focus on something outside of work for an hour before going home and actually going home at a reasonable hour does a huge amount for my mood.

totally agree with that statement, i've been mostly off the bike for two months, i'm slowly and painfully going MAD!!!

if i thought i couldnt get back to my normal cycling levels ....well I dont even want to think about that.

to the OP, join a club or find a cycling friend or two, when you're out with other people the motivation happens.

itboffin

Veronese68 wrote:

I must confess I removed the temptation to ride a motorbike, It's just too easy to get on a motorbike. So, I sold this:

And bought this:

3 years on it looks like this:

So I tend to cycle.

Nice should end up looking a bit like this


Does that beer crate say plop?